Dec 19
Tokyo, Japan
He doesn't realise his name is being called until David pinches his side. Inhaling sharply, Yuuri cringes to himself, snapping his head back towards the reporter as his brain tries to catch up what he's missed whilst his mind was off daydreaming.
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" He winces at the sound of his voice, meek and impudent. He's horribly aware how impolite it is to not pay attention, especially during a press conference where cameras are focused on him all around. Coach-Viktor would be outraged, he's sure.
"Your coach, Okukawa-sensei, mentioned in an interview that it was you who choreographed both your new short program and the changes in your free program. Could you tell us a little bit about that?"
"I love dance, it was what I first fell in love with and it brought me to skating. If there's any chance for me to create my own pieces, I will jump at the chance."
'Is that where you see yourself in the future? As a choreographer?"
"Well to be honest, I think it's a little early to ask where I see myself in the future. My goal is to do everything I can in this field. I want to have a successful senior career, I want to go to Worlds and the Olympics, if I am blessed with a long career, then I want to go to multiple. I want to do everything I can first. And then, well, if my body allows it, I wouldn't mind composing some pieces."
The cameras dim a little as they turn towards other athletes, the conversation naturally moving on to other skaters. He feels David tapping his shoulder, a metaphorical thumbs up if he's ever seen one, and starts to relax.
"Ah, one last question for Katsuki-senshu." It's Morooka, standing near the back, with his microphone attached to his hand. "In your exhibition piece, you are also listed as the main choreographer. I think I'm not the first to say how unprecedented the piece was amongst all other single skaters. People in the international community have called it a masterpiece and I, personally, have had multiple international reporters ask about you following the exhibition. How did you conceptualise the program?"
It's a good question, great even, but it makes Yuuri's throat close up.
How can Yuuri explain it, the pressing pain that had immersed his very being for months? The hole that had cut deep, right through his muscle till the stark, white bone, leaving his innards out for exposure to poison and infection? How could he begin to fathom the pain that forms the very basis of his breath?
There is no explanation for the sorrow, no way for Yuuri to be able to string words together and form coherent thoughts that would do his pain justice. Tenkyuu - the only way he could show it was through skating. How could he ever put it into words?
"It's a simple piece, once you understand it." Yuuri finds himself speaking, slowly, as if each word is being chosen carefully. "When you break down the characters, it could mean various things. The easiest reading would be to 'weep' or 'cry'. When you break the kanji down, the meaning changes into a concept and literally translates to "tears from heaven" but which actually means "rain falling from a cloudless sky."
"It's that very specific concept I wanted to portray, that split second when you are released from your pain because you experience it wholly - the moment when the rain falls, the clouds start to clear. It cannot always be raining, someday it will someday pass."
"For me, that is what tenkyuu is. There is an ease when you finally allow yourself to feel sadness, an explosion of emotion that leaves you at ease and that feeling is what I wanted to encapsulate with my exhibition."
The silence is palpable, and then, there are hundreds of flashing lights sent Yuuri's way and more people are screaming his name. He blinks widely, and looks around in confusion, then closes his eyes in fear at the sheer magnitude of cameras being shoved in his face.
Turning towards David, he whispers as frantically as he can, "Did I say something wrong?"
"Y-you." David exhales deeply. "You know what, nevermind, kid. Nevermind."
[VIDEO: A news jingle reverberates across the speakers. The NHK KYUSHU logo floods the screen, until the video cuts to announcers Yamamoto Himari and Watanabe Toru. The green screen behind shows a repeated clip of a Yakult Swallows' lead-off player hitting a home run and winning the game.
Opposite them at the news table is Honda Takeshi-san, a figure skating sports commentator, who watched and commentated on this year's Grand Prix Final for NHK Sports. The news clip continues, with Yamamoto-san looking directly into the camera, smiling brightly.
Y: Now, on to other sports news.
The video behind them changes into two pictures, one of Kihira Yumi and Yamaguchi David with their bronze medal standing up on the podium nad the other of Katsuki Yuuri, holding up his gold medal.
Y: Celebrations are in store this Christmas as we look towards the world of figure skating. At this year's Grand Prix of Figure Skating Finals, Japan brought back two medals. Kihira Yumi-senshu and Yamaguchi David-senshu won bronze, the first medal of its kind in Japanese history. The Junior competition also happened concurrently, with our own Katsuku Yuuri-senshu winning the segment to bring gold back to our country.
W: With us today in the studio is Honda Takeshi-san, a figure skating sport's commentator who was there for this year's Grand Prix Final . Watanabe-san smiles towards Yamamoto-san, flicking through his notes once, before turning to address their guest.
W: Honda-san, thank you for joining us. Please tell us what these achievements mean for figure skating in Japan .
H: Yes, well I think I want to start off by congratulating both sets of athletes. Ice dancing is dominated by Russian, American and Canadian skaters, so for us to have our own athletes on the podium is a monumental moment.
W: Yes, Yamaguchi-senshu and Kihira-senshu won the first medal for ice dancing in Japan. What can we expect for them coming into future competitions?
H: They have become favourites of the audiences, it's not out of the bounds of reality for us to think that they can surpass this. With the right tools, I believe Yamaguchi-senshu and Kihira-senshu can go further than anything we have ever seen before.
Y: Thank you, Honda-san. Now, Katsuki-senshu is the person we can say is the standout athlete of the competition. He broke two world records during the Grand Prix Final, both of which were set by Russia's Nikiforov-senshu over four years ago. Can you tell our viewers what this means ?
H: Well, to start off, I want to say how incredible what Katsuki-senshu did from a technical standpoint. He broke the world record in the short program and the combined score, and was only a few points away from breaking the world record in the long too. If I focus on the short program, there are three jumping elements needed. Katsuki did a triple axel, triple lutz and triple flip combination with a triple toe.
Honda-san seems to be full of energy and exuberance, like he is vibrating in his seat.
H: However, what Katsuki-senshu did was place his last two jumping passes at the end of his program, automatically awarding him an extra ten percent bonus on those two elements. You might wonder why don't all athletes push their jumps to the end to gain this bonus? The reality is that it's almost humanly impossible because it's so difficult and exhausting.
To be honest, if I was a coach, I would never let my students risk it - you would lose more if you fell, but Katsuki must have some kind of inhuman stamina - he lands them even better than if he were to jump them at the beginning!
Honda-san rises from his seat, and moves forward so he's in front of a large, floor-length screen. The screen shows a replayed, slowed down video of Katsuki Yuuri's triple axel, from it's entry to it's landing.
H : Let's take a closer look so you can understand. Here, this shows Katsuki's triple axel that was done in the second half of his short program. Look at the entry. The video slows down to show the entry.
H: Katsuki enters the triple axel from a back-counter. Typically, triple axels are done on the opposite foot - they transfer the weight from their leading foot into the other so that the skater has enough power.
What Katsuki-san does is use his leading foot as the take-off foot, which automatically increases the difficulty of the jump. That, plus the fact that he placed the triple axel at the end of his program, is the skill of this young skater.
W: How rare is a back-counter, triple axel?
H: Incredibly rare. No-one has done it, not even in the senior field. I did not even think it was possible for a triple axel, some skaters use it for doubles, but never a triple. But it's not just his triple axels - Katsuki-san utilizes step in all of his jump entries. It's like nothing I've ever seen before, and he is so consistent with them.
Y: And do you think it's these step elements utilised as his jump entries that are the reason behind his world record?
H: I think it's a multitude of things - Katsuki-senshu's short program was awarded 84.04 points. In the senior competition, sixth place earned 72.83 points. If he was competing in seniors, he would've been in the top bracket of international male skaters.
H: But it's not just his technical ability that I want to talk about, but his incredible artistry - Katsuki-senshu embodies his programs, with maturity that I have never before seen from a junior skater on the international stage, let alone from Japan.
Honda-san returns back to his seat, seemingly realising that he's red in the face. Nevertheless, he continues.
H: I think we can all agree that watching him perform is something incredibly special. The level of intricacies and detail he puts with his programs, it is as if he is not competing but rather performing for the audience. To think that he choreographs his own programs!
W: Yes, I, personally, can attest to that. Watanabe-san laughs to himself. Neither of us know much about figure skating, as you've said, but even I could feel the emotion in his skating whilst watching Katsuki-senshu perform. I found myself really thinking, is he really only just turned eighteen? The studio chuckles around them.
H: He is a talent, that much is an understatement.
Y: What do you think we can look forward to from Katsuku-senshu's future competitions?
H: If he continues the way I believe he will, I believe Katsuki-senshu will usher in a new age of figure skating. Some of our viewers may not know, but Japan used to be one of the great figure skating countries. It has steadily been declining since the 80s.
We have not medaled at any figure skating finals in years, let alone winning a gold medal. He is the only gold medalist Japan has had in years. He will be competing in senior competitions next year, and it's sufficient to say that I, along with the figure skating community, is excited to see what he will bring to the table when he becomes eligible for competition.
W: Amazing - he truly has become Japan's Junior Ace. Do you have any other statements you'd like to make, Honda-san?
Honda-san clasps his hands, and looks between the camera and the reporters sheepishly.
H: We can only pray that he continues to reach new heights during seniors and for the upcoming Junior World Championships. So, before all else, I hope he stays healthy. .
Y: We too, at NHK KYUSHU, will cheer on Katsuki-senshu and for the Junior World Championship. Thank you Honda-san for coming in and joining us.
Now, the Kyushu representatives for the upcoming Interhigh Championships have been decided. In Saga, Saga Higashi High School won in an upset against Chienkan High. From Fukuoka, Teiko High, the reigning national champions, have won a deciding match in their prefecture tournaments, and aim to win consecutive national titles. We will move over to Sato-san for more in depth news…]
[VIDEO: The logo for Tokyo Sports comes on, flashing back towards a reporter - Suzuki-san, who stands up in front of a looped clip of a press conference.
S: And now, on to the world of figure skating - Japan has won two medals at the Grand Prix Final of Figure Skating held in Beijing, China. Kihira Yumi-senshu and Yamaguchi David-senshu won bronze in ice dance, and Katsuki Yuuri-senshu won gold in Junior men's figure skating. Let's take a look at the press conference held by the Japanese Skating Federation earlier today.
The video cuts to the press conference held in Japan. All members of Team Japan are there, wearing their official 'JAPAN' sports jackets. Katsuki-senshu is next to Yamaguchi-senshu, who in turn is next to his partner, Kihira-senshu. The video then continues through various questions aimed towards different athletes, interspersing short clips from the competition.
Many questions are aimed towards Katsuki-senshu, and the camera picks up the wide-eyed, glazed look in his eyes. He blinks frantically, as if he's accustomed to the attention. Then, when he realises that the questions are directed towards him, he closes his eyes slowly as if he is in pain.]
trending (japan) . sports
チームジャパン
[Team Japan]
12k
記者会見
Press Conference
29k
山口デビッド
[Yamaguchi David]
8k
紀平 友美
[Kihira Yumi]
7k
アイスダンス
[Ice Dance]
3k
(かつき ゆうり
[Katsuki Yuuri]
1k
勝生みたいな感じ
[feeling like Katsuki]
18k
むとう RuiMu . Dec 19
[Gif of Yuuri's face during the press conference]
なぜこの子供はとても親しみやすいのですか？? ?
[Why is this kid so relatable ? ? ]
18k ? ﾸﾏ 61k ⟲ 72k
愛してください tsukasami . Dec 17
[Gif of Yuuri's face during the press conference]
月曜日はカツキのような気分になりました
[Monday's got me feeling like Katsuki]
12k ? ﾸﾏ 18k ⟲ 21k
サンダはエースです shinpei_shunpei . Dec 17
[Picture of a coffee cup]
私のコーヒーの注文は間違っていました-私はカツキのように感じます。
[My order was wrong - I feel like Katsuki]
312 ? ﾸﾏ 421 ⟲ 634
相沢最高の先生 ashizawa . Dec 17
[Gif of Yuuri's face during the press conference]
先生がワークシートを配るだけの午前9時の講義のために目を覚ます
[Waking up for a nine am lecture only for the teacher to give out worksheets.]
51 ? ﾸﾏ 91 ⟲ 123
sho-hini . Dec 17
ashizawa 勝生みたいな感じ ?
[Feeling like Katsuki?]
2 ? ﾸﾏ 153 ⟲ 763
ashizawa . Dec 17
sho-hini 勝生みたいな感じ .
[Feeling like Katsuki.]
5 ? ﾸﾏ 523 ⟲ 865
December 21
Saint Petersburg,
Russia
"Why are you here?"
"Rude!" Viktor cries, face morphing into utter anguish. He does not look it - his feet are perched up on the coffee table as he sips out of one of Lilia's precious teacups deviously. Makkachin is lying as primly as a dog can, in complete contention with her owner's demeanor, demurely resting her head atop of Viktor's lap whilst the rest of her body covers the other half of the couch.
"You didn't answer my question." Maybe Yuri could slip some kind of poison into Viktor's drink when he's not looking. Lila must have something .
"Vitya." Both Yuri and Viktor freeze at the tone in Lilia's voice as she enters behind Yuri. "Are you an animal? Take your feet off the table, now." Feodor meowls in soon, curling around Lila's feet as she settles into the armchair by the window. The cat hisses at Viktor, and he quickly curls his feet underneath himself. Yuri snickers.
Lilia and Yakov's apartment is old but the kind of old that exudes expense. They're inside a parlour room of all things, a far cry to Viktor's childhood in a stubby little, shared apartment.
It's a circular layout, leading directly into a private, foyer-like hallway that stretches out to the front door. With marble, heated flooring and bookshelves anchored into the walls surrounding Viktor, everything in Lilia and Yakov's apartment screamed expensive.
They even had ceiling-to-floor windows with a gorgeous overview of St. Isaac's Cathedral. Makka loves the private gardens allocated outside. Honestly, Viktor doesn't know why he moved out.
He's spent enough time inside the parlour room to know that the very coffee table his feet had been resting on moments ago was an antique dating back to the nineteenth-century. It's legs are rusted gold, with a glassed-oval top that screams fragile.
Well, Viktor pays Yakov an enormous sum for his coaching fees. If he breaks it, Yakov could always get another one.
"And be nice, lvyonok ."
Viktor chokes into his drink. Ivyonok? He raises an eyebrow at Lilia, who, very undignified , throws a pillow at him! How ghastly, his mentor is! Viktor smirks into his tea. Yuri sneers, but seems to simmer under Lilia's glare, sitting down as nicely even with Viktor breathing the same air as him.
Makkachin jumps up from her place on Viktor's lap, pattering calmly towards Yuri. He bends down, ruffling the fur around her ears. "You're the only reason I tolerate him, Makka."
"Makka! How could you betray your father?"
"Vitya, my china ."
"Sorry." He sheepishly places the teacup back down on its saucer, preventing any spillage. "But, honestly, Yura. It's like you don't even like me."
"I don't ."
"Yura." Lilia scolds. "Manners, please. And Vitya!" She grimaces at him. "What is it that you're wearing? You look like a homeless person."
"He always looks homeless."
" Yuri ."
Yuri obediently shuts his mouth, drinking his tea.
"It's a sweatshirt . I can't believe I'm not allowed to wear a hoodie in this weather! It's cold, you know! Hypothermia is a real issue." Viktor sulks, tugging his jacket around tightly.
"If you're cold, I'll get Lana to turn on the heating-"
"No!" Viktor cries. "Let Svetlana have a break - I'm fine."
"She's a maid. It's her job ."
"Just because some of us are mean to the help, doesn't mean you can abuse their time, Plisetsky. Besides, I'm not taking it off."
Lilia tuts, eyes narrowing at the two of them. They dutifully turn back towards their tea. Yuri dunks a biscuit in his, careful to brush off any crumbs on to the floor before Lilia notices. "Well, at least you came to visit. You've become so ill-mannered since you've moved out. How hard is it to come and visit now and again - it's not like we housed you for years."
"Aw, did you miss me, Lilia?"
"Stop being disgusting." Yuri's face scrunches up, as if Makkachin had just peed on the carpet. "No one would miss you." Viktor smiles charmingly, masking the stab of pain that pierces his chest.
" Yuri Plisetsky ." Lilia takes a deep breath, closing her eyes. "Ignore him, Vitya. Why are you here, though?"
"Because he's been in lala land for an entire, two-hour practice session even though Nationals is a week away." Yakov cuts in, stepping into the room with a sneer.
"Yakov! Viktor's being gross!"
"Shut up, you devil child. I was here first. " Yuri sticks his tongue out, using Makkachin as a shield. Viktor sneers, crossing his arms like a toddler having a tantrum. He turns sharply towards Yakov. "And I was not in la-la-land! I was merely… indisposed."
"You fell flat on your face doing a double salchow."
Lilia raises an eyebrow, "Is he hurt anywhere?"
Yakov waves his hand in the air flippantly, pouring out his own tea. "Other than his pride? No."
" Yakov! "
"I don't think I've ever seen him acting so loopy. I think winning consecutive titles is getting to his head."
"Hmm.. how is he acting?"
"Like an airhead."
"Well, Vitya's always been an airhead."
"He's always acted like an airhead. There's a difference - this is the first time he's actually been one."
"I am right here!"
Lilia sighs, placing her saucer down on the side table. She turns towards him. "Is there a reason you're acting this way, Vitya?"
"Well.. if you must know-"
"We really don't." Yuri interjects.
Viktor crosses a leg over his other, clasping his fingers together so they rested primly on top of his lap. "I am completely besotted ."
"Oh my god." Yakov vaults from his seat, as if he's going to throttle Viktor. Viktor cringes, snapping his face away so he wouldn't make direct eye contact with his coach.
"Yakov, my china ."
"This is about Katsuki, isn't it."
"Katsuki?" Yuri's eyes widen. "What does this have to do with Katsuki ?"
"Viktor. I told you to stay away from him. I can't have you being… whatever this is. Ugh, I should've known, you can't keep anything in your pants."
Viktor gasps loudly. "That's so rude . Katsuki and I had an intellectual connection. Intellectual ."
Yuri's eyes are unfocused as he stares off into nothing. Then, realisation dawns on his face.
"You keep your gross hands off him!" He screeches, leaping over the table and clawing at Viktor's side. Viktor holds him at arm-length easily. Yakov grabs him by the neck, and drags him away, even as Yuri screams murder.
He's out for blood, and suddenly, Viktor feels a cold chill run through his body at the thought of Yuri finding out the owner of his hoodie.
"You can't seduce everyone you find attractive, Viktor." Lilia sighs heavily.
"I don't want to sleep with him!" She raises an eyebrow.
"Okay, well he is very attractive, but!" He holds both of his arms out, wide as if he's at a board meeting, about to pull out a powerpoint presentation with bullet-pointed reasons as to why he and Katsuki are perfectly compatible as rival athletes.
"I'm besotted by him as a competitor . You yourself said it, Yakov! When he goes to seniors, he'll be the only competition I get so…" Viktor takes a deep breath, and Yakov is suddenly transported to the memory of sixteen year old Viktor smuggling Makkachin out of a shelter in the dead of night. Oh god , Yakov fears. "I want to go to Junior Worlds."
"Katsuki's my rival. I saw him first!" Yuri screams out. Viktor aptly ignores the child's guttural screech. "Yakov! You can't let him! It's not fair!"
"Shut it, Plisetsky."
"You shut it, you old cow!"
"Sit. Down." Lilia spits out. "Both of you. Have we raised you as animals? Makkachin is better behaved than the two of you." Both Viktor and Yuri slowly sink back into their seats, chastised. Yakov's fingers are pressed into his forehead, trying to relieve his growing headache.
"Yakov, it's not fair." Yuri cries out. Yakov freezes. Oh, oh shit. Yuri Plisetsky's face is turning red. Tears, tears are forming in his eyes.
Viktor's whole body convulses.
He slams a hand across his mouth, turning as fast as he can away from the scene in front of him. A croaky squeal erupts from his throat as Lilia slams her elbow into his side, but he can't help it. He's going to hell for laughing. He's going to die .
"It'll be on my birthday ."
Viktor's chokes on his breath. He gapes at Lilia in disbelief, who in turn has pressed her lips together, an act of immovable indifference. She pinches Viktor's side. The two send each other silent looks.
Do you think the tears are fake?
She tenses, shaking her head. Probably not. He cries when he's frustrated. But, I wouldn't put it past him. He knows how to play Yakov like a fool.
"Yura." Yakov crouches down, so that the two of them are eye level. "You know the reason why I told you no last time. I'll be focused on Mila and there'll be no-one around to keep an eye on you."
"I can look after myself!"
"Yura. You're ten."
Lilia pinches Viktor's side. He flinches, aghast at the abuse. She sighs exasperated, looking as if she was minutes away from hitting him again. She pointedly looks at Yuri, then back towards him again.
Oh, Viktor's gasps in realisation. His finger lifts to point towards Yuri, and then it moves to point back at himself. She rolls her eyes, but nods once in confirmation.
"I can!" Viktor screeches, slamming his hand high in the air as if he's trying to answer a question in a classroom. He runs behind Yuri, digging his fingers into the child's shoulders. "I can keep an eye on him and scout Katsuki at the same time!"
"Viktor. Shut up ." Yakov groans out.
"Are you really going to tell a child no, especially when the Championships will be during little Yurachoka's birthday?" Yuri squirms in Viktor's hold, face twisted in disgust.
"Let go of me, you psycho."
"Shut up, you little fucker. This is the only way either of us can get anything we want." He spits through gritted teeth. Yuri still struggles out of his grasp, but blessedly bites his tongue.
"Yakov." Lilia pushes herself between the boys and her husband. "He does have a point. If you think of it this way, the competition can be both Yura and Vitya's birthday presents. It'll be killing two birds with one stone."
"This better not be you trying to get out of giving me actual presents."
"I'm not sharing my birthday with the old man-"
Lilia sends them a pointed glare.
Yakov looks at all three of them with a sinking feeling in his stomach. "But-"
"If you let me go," Yuri cuts him off, hands clenched to his side. "I'll get along with Viktor."
Both Lilia and Yakov's mouths drop to the floor. Viktor's hands tighten on Yuuri's shoulder and he shoots Yakov a winning smile. "Well, how can we say no to that? Everything will turn out great, Yakov. You have nothing to worry about."
trending . worldwide
#MerryChristmas!
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Happy Holidays
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Christmas Day
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#HappyBirthdayViktor
Fans around the world celebrate World Champion Viktor Nikiforov's 21st birthday!
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Живая легенда_Виктор LL_Vitya . 25 Dec
С Рождеством и Днем Рождения, Витя
[Merry Christmas and happy birthday, Vitya!]
13 ? ﾸﾏ 971 ⟲ 62k
Витя Красавицы Vityas-Lovelies . 25 Dec
Поздравляем с Днем Рождения величайшего фигуриста в истории!
[Happy Birthday to the greatest figure skater in history!]
91 ? ﾸﾏ 193 ⟲ 2k
LOUIS VUITTON ✓ LouisVuitton . 25 Dec
[PHOTO: A reposted picture of Viktor at the Grand Prix Final Gala Banquet, wearing his custom-made emerald, Louis Vuitton suit.]
Happy 21st Birthday to our Global Brand Ambassador, Viktor Nikiforov!
351? ﾸﾏ 13k ⟲ 19k
all things Viktor Nikiforov PlanetNikiforov . 25 Dec
[PHOTO: A commissioned fanart of Viktor, wearing his iconic sapphire, rose-crown.]
happy birthday, vitya ✨ ✨
65 ? ﾸﾏ 5k ⟲ 38k
v-nikiforov . 1h
Ice Palace Arena,
St. Petersburg, Russia
[PHOTO: A selfie of Viktor winking at the camera and holding out a peace sign. Behind him are hundreds of fans from the audience, who equally are holding up birthday banners, and making peace signs and hearts with their hands.]
?ￂﾠ ➤
liked by christophe-gc, louisvuitton, i-askarov, sara-crispino and 3,234,329 others
v-nikiforov: ✌️ ✌️ ✌️
Спасибо, что отпраздновали сегодня мой день рождения вместе со мной!
Thank you for celebrating my birthday with me today!
View all 890,0824 comments
December 26
Chofu Urban Hotel,
Tokyo, Japan
04:23 AM
Советский спорт ✓ Sovetsky Sport . 21h
Виктор Никифоров завоевывает свой третий подряд национальный титул.
[Viktor Nikiforov wins his third consecutive National title.]
123 ? ﾸﾏ 674 ⟲ 1426
Yuuri traces the characters of Viktor's name over his phone screen. It's strange to think that Viktor winning only three titles doesn't phase him. He had won such an unprecedented amount in their other life, Yuuri didn't even glance twice at the news article.
There really was little time for Yuuri to think about Russian Nationals, what with his own Nationals pressing so closely to Viktor's. Yuuri remembers how claustrophobic December had felt, Russian Nationals, the All-Japan Championships and Viktor's birthday always being squeezed together into a cramped few days.
It had always left Yuuri winded at the end, like the storm hit him with unimaginable power, even though he had braced himself for impact. Now, he can't help but feel like after the storm, buried under an avalanche of debris.
Something soft knocks Yuuri's head back, but the force of the hit sends his head slamming against his bed frame.
"Ow, neesan! "
"Turn your fucking phone off, you idiot." Mari groans. "God, what time is it… four in the morning?! Why the fuck are you awake at four in the morning? You have the free skate tomorrow!"
Yuuri blinks, eyes refocusing. Oh, that's right. He placed second at Senior Nationals, even though he didn't land a single quad. Never before had a male junior skater skated to a top three standing at a senior nationals. Another first of many, according to the reporters that had interviewed him.
Mari sighs. "Are you nervous?"
No, he isn't.
Yuuri's been to enough National championships to breeze through this. In his mind, the competition didn't really matter to him, but Minako had sprouted something about 'national pride' and ' What about the fans, Yuuri? The FANS! '.
Yuuri didn't raise the fact that he didn't have any fans, but since coming back from Beijing, Minako had been buried underneath a pile of work from the studio.
Yuuri, feeling a little guilty about taking his sensei away from her actual job, had allowed her to guilt-trip him into competing, even though she was stuck in Hasetsu, somehow weaseling Mari into accompanying him to Tokyo so he wouldn't be coach-less.
It hadn't been too daunting. Despite the obvious increase in audience - Junior competitions really were performing to an empty crowd in comparison to the arenas, holy shit - Yuuri had reassured himself that he didn't need to do well.
He was a junior skater who was invited to compete at seniors because the JSF liked to give their skaters as much experience as they can before they move up.
He'd been attending these things for years . He didn't have to think about senior Nationals for another year!
So, the game plan was this: He would rank low enough that he'd be able to return to his hotel early, possibly at six, and have his full seven hours straight of rest. sleep for seven hours. Then, he'd wake up at one, ready to find a shitty live-streamed video of the Russian Championships free skate.
Of course, because Yuuri's an idiot, he just had to go out and get second place, didn't he?
His official coach wasn't even there . Yeah, maybe he should've scaled back a little , because now, there was so much more attention on Yuuri than he frankly felt comfortable with.
It didn't help that the person who beat Yuuri only did so because he managed to land the quad sal okay- ish , enough where the base value at least was higher than Yuuri's.
There was no time after, he'd been bombarded with interview after interview, especially after he ended up leading the pack for the rest of the competition.
It wasn't until the last skater, Naka Fumihiro who was the reigning National Champion (and also a three-time consecutive Champion) took to the rink and gained the lead.
As soon as the other skater had beaten Yuuri, he heaved a sigh of relief. It really wouldn't do for him to be leading at Nationals. All he wanted to do was see Viktor perform, was that too much to ask?
Of course, because of all the press, he'd gotten back to the hotel at eleven, which meant goodbye to his seven hours of sleep. That threw a major wrench into his plans.
Now, it was time to be strategic.
Viktor was leading after the short program, which he fucking missed because of practice, which means that he'd be the last skater left to compete. Give or take half an hour, Yuuri would only have to wake up at 3AM to be able to catch Viktor skating. Of course, he didn't.
As soon as midnight had struck, Yuuri was wide awake. His bed was nearest to the window, and as Mari stayed fast asleep on her side of the room, Yuuri could not help himself from pulling back the curtains.
Tokyo was a city that never slept, buzzling with motion even in the dead of night. The view attested to that, the screech of cars speeding through the night echoing against Yuuri's ears. Sighing, he let the curtain fall back in place.
As quietly as he could, Yuuri creeps towards his suitcase. There, tucked underneath the mountain of clothes, is a little box of treats. Yuuri had bought them from the little sweet shop down the road from the inn. Opening it gently, Yuuri slowly lifts one of the mochis out of the box.
It's a strawberry one, Viktor's favourite. Like a stretchy cloud! He had said, kissing Yuuri soundly even as a dusting of powder had transferred on to his face. Vkusno!
He digs around Mari's jacket until his fingers grasp around her lighter. The ridges of the spark wheel imprint into his finger as it splutters for a moment, and then a golden flame illuminates the room. He's quick to stab a candle in the middle of the mochi, and then, he swiftly lights the candle.
Taking a deep breath, sending one more glance towards his sister to make sure she hadn't woken up, Yuuri cradles the mochi in his hand as gently as if he were holding a newborn baby.
"Happy birthday, Vitya." He whispers out into the night, his lips stretching into a soft smile. He blows the candle out, and the room is engulfed into darkness once again.
ASAHI SPORTS CENTRE ✓ Asahi_Sports . Dec 27
中文弘選手が3連覇。ジュニアカツキユウリが2位になります。
[Naka Fumihiro-senshu wins his third consecutive title. Junior, Katsuki Yuuri, takes second place.]
71 ? ﾸﾏ 424 ⟲ 524
Fuji TV Channel 2 ✓ Fuji_C2 . Dec 27
18歳のカツキユウリは、彼の最初のシニアナショナルで銀メダルを獲得しました。ナカ選手は3年連続の全国タイトルを獲得。
[18 year old Katsuki Yuuri earns a silver medal at his first Senior Nationals. Naka-senshu wins his third consecutive National title.]
63 ? ﾸﾏ 182 ⟲ 324
The Mainichi News - Sports ✓ 毎日新聞 . Dec 27
ナカ・フミヒロは、ジュニアのカツキ・ユウリ・センシュをかかえて、彼の全国タイトルを擁護します。
[Naka Fumihiro defends his National title, with Junior, Katsuki Yuuri-senshu hot on his heels.]
43 ? ﾸﾏ 78 ⟲ 189
フィギュアスケートマンスリー ✓ FS_Monthly . Dec 27
全日本スケートの未来に向けて何が待ち受けているのでしょうか？ジュニアスーパースターのカツキユウリがシニアナショナルズで銀メダルを獲得。
[What's in store for the future of Japanese skating? The Junior superstar, Katsuki Yuuri, wins silver at Senior Nationals.]
3 ? ﾸﾏ 14 ⟲ 224
Dec 29
KUMA Inc.
Marunouchi (Tokyo Business District)
Tokyo, Japan
"How can we even call this an office?" Momo tries to pull her feet from under the piles and piles of boxes that had been unceremoniously shoved underneath her desk. "How much are we even paying for this office?"
"40,000 yen." Nako looks like she's about to burst into tears, eyes trained entirely on the mess of folders in front of her.
"4-40,000?! FOR THIS SHOEBOX?"
"We're paying for the location, Momo-chan."
"Location is bullshit, we're in their fucking basement ."
Momo wasn't wrong - they were on the basement level of a tiny apartment-turned office cube.
The building was the size of a needle, sticking out like a sore-thumb next to huge skyscrapers, derelict with painting chipping at every place had once been an assortment of apartments, and now, was split into floor levels, rented out as office space to different businesses. KUMA, as a new company, had only been able to get a small room in the basement.
It was the cheapest room Yui could find as a first-time renter, added into the fact that it was at the centre of Tokyo's business district, Marunouchi, it was the best that Yui could afford.
"You need to tell Yui that this is ridiculous." Momo reiterates.
"Look, Yui has been trying everything in her power to keep us afloat. She's got a huge meeting with Taiyō about a collaboration."
"Wait, are you serious? The Taiyō ? "
"Mn." Nako closes her eyes, rubbing at her closed eyelids harshly as her glasses become tangled from where they're resting atop of her head. "Taiyō Cosmetics."
Momo's mouth drops to the floor. "Are you serious?"
"I'm her personal assistant, I should know."
"I thought you were our accountant."
Nako bares her teeth. "I'm supposed to be - if I knew how understaffed we were, I'd never take the job in the first place."
"What staff?" Momo rolls her eyes. "There's only me, Yui and you on the payroll."
"Exactly." Nako cries. "Do you know how fucked up it is that we're being paid minimum wage? You have a masters in Chemistry from Harvard , you could've gotten into any company you wanted to. Yui and I went to Keio and Culumbia respectively. For all intents and purposes we shouldn't be diving for scraps and being forced inside this shitty little box-cutter room, living on minimum wage!" Nako's face turns an unseemly shade of red, tears filling her eyes. Momo stills.
"Nako-chan. What's going on?"
"This is all we've ever wanted." Tears are spilling over her cheeks. "Remember when we were in high school? We said we'd have our own business together, it's why the two of us suffered overseas and Yui sent herself to the hospital for exhaustion just so we could get degrees at the best university. We had a game-plan ! And-" Nako's breathing becomes frantic, turning into hyperventilation.
Momo is by her side in an instant, shoving boxes out of the way. It didn't help with clearing up the space, but it was enough for Nako to close her eyes and try to control her breathing.
"Then it all got fucked up by reality." Her hands come up to grab Momo's arms. "Yui is running herself into an early grave just so we have enough money to pay rent. She hasn't had a proper meal in ages, and I know you have mountains of debt waiting to be paid off. She wouldn't fault you if you left, you know?"
"Don't even say it." Momo glares. "You think I don't want to be here? KUMA's as much of my baby as it is yours and Yui's."
Nako sniffles, blowing loudly into the tissue Momo hands her. "I know. I know, it's just so hard. We need an investment."
"Isn't that what the meeting with Taiyō is going to be about?"
Nako shakes her head. "That's what Yui is hoping for, but I- I don't trust them."
"What do you mean?"
Nako inhales deeply. "I was reading over the brief email they sent Yui, she wanted me to check over all the stuff. And, I just have a bad feeling about everything."
"What- what the fuck do you mean by that?" Momo screeches. "We're just going to pitch our idea, right?"
"We can't afford the patent, if we go and introduce our product, they can buy it from us. There's no telling if we'd have any rights over the formula at all. If we pitch our idea, what's there to save us if they decline us, and then go out and release the same product a month later?"
"But it's our skincare line! I personally came up with all the formulas myself!" Momo cries. "I didn't slave away for three years for it to be taken by some parasitic big-name group!"
"What choice do we have?" Nako's tears start to fall faster, her cheeks turning red. "We can't even afford a stockroom to keep the creams refrigerated. Even if we do get Taiyō to buy our product, what are we even going to do with all of this stock?"
"She's right."
Nako and Momo freeze. The sound of heels against their wooden floor (the landlord wouldn't even get them carpet) walking towards them stops. Nako peers up through swollen eyes, mouth dropping open. The door to their office is widen open, cold air flooding in through the air.
"I'm looking for Kataoka Yui."
"I-I'm sorry, Miss." Nako scrambles to her feet, shoving her glasses up the bridge of her nose, bowing repeatedly. "She's not here at the moment. Can I offer you a coffee…?" All three of them fall into silence, the room obviously far too cramped to even move around, let alone allow another person to sit down nicely.
The woman raises a perfectly manicured eyebrow. Her black suit is gorgeously tailored into a feminine cut, contrasting the sharp lines of her face. There are three pairs of diamond earrings stubbed into her ears, an expensive Rolex watch tightly wrapped around her left hand from where she's gripping her phone. In the other is a satchel bag, thinly-veiled as designer to the trained eye, if the leatherwork is anything to make of it.
She looks like she actually belongs in Marunouchi - not like Nako in her frumpy little cardigans and Momo's hole-infested hoodie.
She holds up her hand, a tight smile stretching over her lips. "There's no need, do you know when she will be back?"
"Oh, erm… soon, I think. She had to step out to talk to our landlord, the heating hasn't been working for a few weeks now." If possible, her smile turns dark.
"How old are the two of you?"
Momo's face stiffens. "We've all graduated from universities-"
"So under 22." She cuts Momo off, entering into the office room with an air of flippancy. "Where's your lease contract?"
"I'm sorry, you can't just enter into someone else's business like this without an appointment." Momo pushes herself in front of the woman. "And a lease contract is private."
"Listen whilst your big sister is being nice, kid." The woman slips past Momo without breaking a sweat, leaning over into the mess that was Nako's desk. "I'm assuming with all the mess here, it'll be somewhere you can easily access, ah-"
She waves the file right in front of Momo's face, raising an eyebrow. "Got it."
"Hey- wait!"
"You can't just take that-"
The woman grabs her satchel, turning back out of the door, nose already stuck inside the folder. "Hurry up, kids."
Momo's mouth drops open in disbelief, gaping at Nako. "What- Oh my god! We need to stop her!"
"But… she told us to follow her?"
"Who even is she?!" Momo grumbles, rushing to follow the woman out of the room.
"Should we call Yui?"
Momo glares, "And have her worry even more? She's already talking to Miruma-san. We can just grab it when her back is turned-"
"I can hear you." The woman's voice calls out sing-like. She swivels on her heels, and tilts her head to the side. "Hurry up, or you'll be swindled out once more."
"Who even are you?" Momo screams out.
"Who- me?" The woman genuinely looks confused. "You should know."
"Like hell I do! I've never seen you before in my life!"
"I've been sending you emails for months."
"What?" Nako's mouth drops even wider.
"Katsuki." She says finally, a smile turning sharp. "Katsuki Mari. Your new investor."
( Previously, in the early hours of the morning…)
Chofu Urban Hotel,
Tokyo, Japan
"What the fuck do you mean I have somwhere to be?"
"It's important, nee-san." Yuuri grips his sister's forearm tight. On her bed lay her 'coaching clothes', one of Minako's tailored suits that somehow fit her perfectly. She had borrowed some jewellery and shoes from the older woman purely for Yuuri's sake, so that he didn't look like a laughing stock when the two of them entered the arena.
Of course, it was the worst day of Mari's life. She couldn't wait to get out of those heels, and today was going to be a great day! Her and Yuuri were a few days extra before New Years, it was her first time in Tokyo!
The city was huge, and Mari was ready to sit back with her feet up at a sauna. Instead, her little brother is telling her to re-wear the clothes and get out of here.
"You've got a very busy day ahead of you. Come on, I'll do your makeup for you."
"Makeup ?" She's shoved onto Yuuri's bed, as begins to tap some heavy-weight concealer under Mari's eyes. "Just a little, we've got to hide those racoon eyes of yours."
"You still haven't explained where I'm going."
"Marunouchi."
"What?!" Mari grabs Yuuri's wrist, stopping him from poking her eye. "Stop. Explain everything, now."
Yuuri heaves a sigh, before turning around and pulling out a satchel bag from underneath his bed, heaving it so that it rests on the bed. "So, you know how Minako-sensei refuses to take coaching fees from me?"
"Yeah, she's only charging you for using the studio, right?"
"She's undercharging me for the studio lessons, you mean?" Yuuri rolls his eyes. "Honestly, do you know that she charges me ¥750 for every hour of dance lessons?"
Mari's jaw sinks to the floor. "You're kidding me? She's literally been awarded the Benois de la Danse!"
"Yeah, most people of her calibre would be charging around ¥ 40,00 an hour." Yuuri shrugs his shoulders, going back to rummaging into his tiny stage-make up bag. He pats the concealer on Mari's face as lightly as possible, blending it seamlessly into her skin.
"Anyway, Yuuko and Takeshi also refuse payment for using Ice Castle, so I only have to pay to get my skates sharpened and my boots tightened. Kaasan and tousan refuse to take any of the prize money, which means…" He takes out an eyebrow pencil, before nudging his chin in the direction of the satchel at Mari's left. "I have an obscene amount that I have no idea how to use."
"That's…" Mari looks at him leering. "How much?"
Yuuri rolls his eyes. "Not a lot, actually. I could buy maybe two new pairs of skates?"
"You have John Wilson skates - they're up to fucking ¥ 670,00."
"Yeah, well - figure skating's an expensive sport." He shrugs his shoulders. "Anyway, what I'm saying is, I have a lot of surplus money that won't actually help me just sitting around. So, I've made it easy for you to help me get more."
"You want more money?!" Mari tilts back away from him, face grimacing. "Didn't you just say you had an 'obscene' amount?"
"I had an obscene amount of surplus - I need actual passive income. To, you know, prepare for next year as a senior. I can't keep getting you and kaasan to make my costumes, can I? The best ones cost up to ¥ 750,000."
"So, what - oh my god, do I get to gamble?" Mari's eyes turn giddy, sparkling so much that Yuuri feels a chill set in his bones. Maybe it wasn't the best to ask his sister to handle his finances.
He shakes his head frantically. "No-no, neesan. I need you to invest in a company for me."
"Wha- that's so boring! Why would I do that?"
"I'm 18, they'd take one look at me and throw me out."
"Hmm, your baby cheeks are very prominent."
Yuuri glares. "Anyway, I know you can deal with it. You handle all the finances for the inn- don't look at me like that, the only reason Yu-Topia stayed afloat when every other hot spring inn died was because you control all of the money and got us paying that bank loan - anyway, you will invest all of this money-" He pulls out a annotated, colour-coordinated file from the satchel, and hands it towards her. "Into this company."
"KUMA?" Mari frowns. "I've never heard of them."
"It's a small business that is going to make a very bad decision soon. We are going to invest and save them. Everything you need to know is in this file, oh, and I also made you a new email address. Evidently, supergirl102 isn't very professional."
Mari's face turns red. "S-shut up."
"The password is ILoveMyLittleBrother - all the correspondences between the company and you are there."
"Wait, you impersonated me in the email? How the fuck am I going to make them believe I'm a reputable investor?"
"What, you think I'll be any better?" Yuuri pulls a face. "It'll be fine, they're a skincare brand, you love skincare! Don't forget, you've got the upper hand, neesan! You're an investor!"
"Ehhh! Yuuri! I can't do that!"
"Neesan," Yuuri crouches down, fingers resting on his older sister's hand, looking so earnest and hopeful, Mari can't help her stomach from dropping. "Read the files."
(Currently…)
Marunouchi,
Tokyo, Japan
A young woman is kneeling, bowing her head so far down that it's almost touching the floor. A, frankly, unpleasant middle-aged man with a balding at the apex of his head, is sitting in front of her, blasé and arrogant. Mari feels her eye twitch.
"Yui!" Momo screams, shoving past Mari into the Head Office room. She grabs her friend's arm, trying to yank her up. "What are you doing? Stand up!"
"She's right, Yui!" Nako cries, "Don't do this, come on, stand up."
"Haaa!" The man's tries to present a certain image to the rom, deepening his own voice so that it sounds unnatural. "What do you think you're doing? Can't you see I'm punishing her?"
"This isn't right!" Momo rages. "You're the one in the wrong-"
" I'm in the wrong? Me?" He scoffs, voice grating on Mari's ears. "Preposterous! I've done nothing but house you girls since you came here. Look around, see if anyone else gives you a better deal than me? You come in here and demand that I foot the bill for your own renovations? How dare you!"
"I- I just asked that you fix the heating-"
"BAH! You just want to wring me for all my money, after I gave you such a low rate! We're in the main business district, and I only charge you ¥40,000!"
"Sounds like you're scamming them."
The man chokes on his spit, swirling around. Mari smiles, wiggling her fingers in greeting.
"Mimura-san, I presume?" She crosses her arms over her chest, the sound of her heels resonating against the marbled floor. She makes a noise of admiration. "Wow, that's a nice television setting you've got there - Samsung? And it's got LED reflector light? Must be expensive, I wonder how you can afford it, considering you have no other tenants besides KUMA."
Mimura's face turns deathly pale.
"What?!" Momo shouts.
Nako gasps loudly. "Wha- but there's storefronts! Whenever we buzz in, there's names on the doors!"
"Fake." Mari waves her hand. "It's why he made you have the basement room, so you'd never notice that they're all empty. The buzzers outside are just to make the building seem like it's leasing legitimate business."
Mari grins brightly. In reality, Mimura-san here doesn't even have a landlord license."
"You- How dare you step into my building, sprouting such nonsense !" He rushes towards her in a bid of intimidation, but then loses his footing when he realises that Mari is a good ten inches taller than him. She tilts her head down, eyes narrowing into a deadly stare.
"Really? You think I'm lying? Well, it's certainly good that I've done my research." She winks, a gleam of amusement in her eyes. Lifting up her
"You have no idea who you're messing with! I could bury you within a second."
"I could buy your whole building without making a dent in my savings. But, I'm a reasonable person." She shrugs her shoulders. "I'm sure instead, NHK News will love to see a little report on their desk about an old man abusing , especially since Morooka-reporter is such a good friend of my brother."
Mimura pales even further. Pulling out a packet of cigarettes, she exhales a huge cloud of smoke, watching it billow out into the air above.
"Oh, I can see the article now, 'Old Man Evades Tax by denouncing his tenants right to a working heater' - I'm sure the readers would eat it right up, especially since it's been only two weeks since the Miyauchi scandal."
Her face turns impassive. "You know, the one where twelve tenants froze to death because their landlord demanded they pay for their own necessities. I'm sure public opinion will be on your side." She winks, flicking her cigarette butt out of the window.
"Just a small wrench in your plan." He laughs, sneering. "They signed the contract."
"Oh, this contract?" Mari dangles the lease in front of Mimura. "This same contract, the one that's automatically invalidated because of its illegal requirements and there being no notarization from a legitimate lawyer? That contract?"
God, watching his face turn a different shade of purple is way better than staying inside the hotel napping, Mari grins to herself.
"Girls!" She claps her hands loudly, watching as all three members of KUMA jump at the booming sound, evidently being dumbfounded to silence by the sudden turn of events.
"Did you know that under multiple legislations that were passed, say, fifty years ago, your landlord is required to provide heating, adequate ventilation through both windows and vents and a clear fire exit?"
"W-what?" Yui whispers, voice breaking. "We- we don't even have a window in our room."
"Hmm, yes it was the first thing I noticed." Mari says. "A big red flag, if I do say so myself. All of those requirements our dear Mimura here failed to provide you. Adding on to the fact that he doesn't even have a landlord licence?" Mari purses her lips, clicking her tongue and gesturing in a 'slit-throat' motion.
"He could be fined up to what, give or take a billion yen," She shrugs her shoulders. "Perhaps you'd like to her all about the ten year prison sentence instead?"
"In fact, don't take it from me. Boys?" She calls out.
Suddenly, there's an influx of uniformed police officers storming their way through the door. Mimura shrieks, looking around in fear and confusion. Momo grabs Yui away from the floor, holding her tightly as Nako crowds close towards them, crying freely.
"We'll take it from here, Katsuki-san." One of the officers tips his hat towards her, another two grab Mimura from behind, twisting his arms as the sprout of his rights.
"Wha- you can't do this!" He screeches. "I own this building!"
"No you don't." Mari calls out to him as he struggles against the officers. He chokes, eyes bugging out of his sockets.
She winks, charmingly " I do." Technically, Yuuri brought it under my name a month ago, but details, details . She thinks to herself.
"Wh-what do you mean by that?" Nako stumbles towards her, and Mari is quick to catch her hand as her body tips forward. Mimura goes limp in the officer's hold, escorted out as more and more detectives enter the room. Now that she's looking for it, Nako can hear the blare of sirens reach her ears.
"He has never owned the building - in fact, he and his buddies had been running a huge scam renting out different abandoned offices to people and cutting the price. Of course, the bank only found out about it when I bought this building around a month ago." Mari winces to herself. "I'm just taking back what's mine from an illegal squatter."
"Ah, I think I'm going to faint." Yui heaves up like she's about to throw up, only still on her feet because of Momo's bruising grip on her forearm.
"Thank you, Katsuki-san." A detective walks up towards her, shaking her hand. "If it wasn't for you, we'd never have caught Mimura and his team."
Mari bows towards the man. "I'm happy to help. Considering it is my building, I guess it's a win-win situation."
"What- what does that mean for us?" Yui cries. "Please, we- we don't have anywhere else to go, he, we've been renting this place for a year ."
"And you'll be reimbursed for that." Mari motions for an officer to bring Mimura's chair out from around the desk, settling Yui into it before she faints. "Since it happened under the bank's nose, they'll be willing to repay you all of your rent. So if it's been a year, that's around 480,000 yen you'll get back whilst this is being sorted out."
"But- how long will that take?" Momo cuts in, crossing her arms. "We can't afford to wait around, our stock will expire and then we'll have to enter bankruptcy just to pay off the suppliers. That's not even including all of the packaging we bought that will go to waste and-"
Mari raises a hand up, and Momo becomes silent. "There's a reason I bought this building. Yui, don't you recognise my name?"
Nako nudges her, "She said her name was Katsu-"
" Katsuki Mari." Yui looks up. "We've been corresponding emails for two months."
"Yes, well, actually it was mostly my assistant." She hopes nobody catches her lie, damn Yuuri for leaving her in this mess. "I'm mostly stuck in Kyushu with my family's business, and they handled most of it."
"Is- is that why you bought the building?"
"Well, some of the things you told me in your emails didn't sound right, my assistant sent it directly to the authorities. Apparently, they'd been trying to find Mimura for years ."
"But what can we do?"
"Don't worry, I'm not in the business of turning out those in desperate need. I'm far too kind for that." She flutters her eyelashes. "Instead, how about singing a new lease with me?"
"I- with you?"
"Mn." She nods her head. "I mean, the police will have to search the premises to gather more evidence, but they assured me that it would take two days max. Rent around here is on average 290,000 yen, but personally, the building isn't up to par with that price. I've already paid for renovations to happen however as soon as the police are out, which is why all of this happened so quickly. My apologies for blindsiding you, but the detectives were adamant I keep quiet until they arrested Mimura and his accomplices."
"But that doesn't change the fact that we're still out of a place to stay." Momo points out. "We're back to square one."
"Not necessarily." Mari leans against the desk. "That was me being your landlady. I didn't say anything about me as an investor."
Yui can't help the spark of hope fill her chest. She looks up at Mari with tears streaming down her eyes.
She opens up her satchel, pulling out an itemised file and setting it down in front of Yui. "Here's my proposal. I can give you 100,000,000 yen right now. On the next page, I've listed temporary rental offices nearby that can house the three of you to work. The next page also lists temporary warehouses where you can safely store all of your stock. Renovations won't take longer than three weeks, so after then, you can move back here, if you so wished."
"I- we-" Finally, as if all her emotions have suddenly caught up to her, Momo lets out a huge wail, tears dripping down her cheeks. Yui grips her arm, and suddenly, she entangles Nako and Momo into a hug, tightly drawing them both towards her as close as possible.
Mari watches from the side, a soft smile spreading across her face.
"Do we sign now?" Yui blubbers out.
"No." Mari crosses her arms. "Didn't you learn anything from today? What you're going to do is go home, rest, and then you're going to hire a lawyer. Then, they are going to go over both the tenancy and investment contract and then we'll set up another meeting in the new year to go over anything you might want to add."
"Okay, neesan !" Momo cries out, clenching her fists together, and looking up at her with stars in her eyes. "I'll listen to everything you say!"
"Good." Mari laughs. "What have we learnt today, ladies? Always have a lawyer look over your contracts."
"Hai!" Their voices ring out.
Nako bites her lip, before tugging at Mari's sleeve, her eyes trailed on the annotated file of incredible detail in front of her. "Erm… how did you plan all of this out?"
Her cheeks puff up with air, and she slowly releases it as if she too, had no idea. "I've got a really good assistant."
( Viktor screams, throwing popcorn at the television. "I can't believe I gave Taiyō free promotion and they ended up being a blood-sucking leech! That sunscreen was my favourite thing in the world, and now I can never use it again! I loved that line!" He cries.
"Baby, I think you're getting into this a little too much. It's just a documentary."
"Just a documentary?!" Viktor turns towards Yuuri, aghast at the man he married. "They stole someone else's formula! Tamura Momo spent her whole life perfecting that sunscreen and then her and her team got ripped off in seconds! Her and her friends just wanted to build something together since they were kids, and instead, they got the fucking capitalist parasite that is Taiyō Cosmetics stealing their formular and patenting it behind their back! Taiyō didn't even get a slap on the wrist! They even tried to bury this documentary!"
Tears slip down Viktor's cheeks in plump drops, and Yuuri is quick to wipe them away, tucking his husband's face into his neck and running his fingers through his hair in a calming motion.
"That poor company. They went through so much!" Viktor's voice is muffled against his throat, but Yuuri has spent a lifetime hearing Viktor's voice and understands it just as well. "They got scammed by their own landlord and then their sunscreen formular got stolen and made billions of dollars worldwide! And I helped! Ugh, if I could go back in time, I would save them in a heartbeat!" )